Presser-foot attachment.



M. H. POGARTY.

PRESSER FOOT ATTACHMENT.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1909.

945,384. Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

1 z/ z'tnesses Im/en tor i; 0 AM MICHAEL H. FOGARTY m t I .llttorneys- ANDREW u GIAMAM ca. wrmmumooumns. wumnmfln, IA a UNITED STATES PiitTENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL H. FOGARTY, OF UTIGA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO FRANK L. FOSTER, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

PRESSER-FOOT ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Application filed March 22, 1909. Serial No. 484,952.

"description thereof, sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout.

WVhile I speak of the invention as a presser-foot attachment it may be perhaps more properly termed a presser-foot, as the improvement may be made as an integral portion of a presser-foot, or can be a separate piece secured to a resser-foot by suitable means.

The purpose of the invention is such that it is applicable to any kind or style of a presser-foot, since its purpose is to provide for the severance of threads sewn into the fabric which passes under the presser-foot. By threads I include one or more threads in any kind of a stitch, even though they are several threads which form what might be called a chain.

The purpose of the invention will be made clear by calling attention to the fact, which is wellknown by all who are familiar with the art, that great waste of time and material occurs in the ordinary method of breaking the thread or chain after a fabric has been sewn and another fabric is to be fed to the machine. In ordinary conditions the operator draws the fabric a considerable dis "tance from the presser-foot so as to allow ric and that which is drawn unnecessarily long from the sewing mechanism. The advantage of the invention will be readily understood by considering how rapidly an operator could work if the threads could be severed by a simple manipulation of the fabric performed by the movement of the fingers and not by carrying the fabric hackward toward the front of the press'er-foot. This last has been the practice that has been necessary in the use of some devices which are mentioned to illustrate the difference be tween the invention here disclosed and others.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan view of a certain style of presser-foot with the attachment shown thereon; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same presser-foot; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a different kind of presser-foot with the attachment secured thereon in a dif ferent manner; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one style of attachment; Fig. 5 is a side view of a somewhat different style; Fig. 6 is a front view, and Fig. 7 is a side view from the opposite side of Fig. 5.

Referring to the figures in detail, 1 represents a presser-foot adapted to be mounted on the presser-foot bar, as will be readily understood, and which represents any of the numerous kinds of presser-feet.

At 2 is the point where the needle reciprocates through the fabric fed under the presser-foot. It will be understood that the presser-foot may be adapted for the use of more than one needle, it being immaterial to the invention what kind of presser-foot is employed or what kind of stitch is made.

The device consists of a clip 3 secured at one side of the presser-foot, preferably the lefthand side, as shown, and at the rear of that side. In Figs. 1 and 2 it is shown as being soldered to the presser foot and in Fig. 3 as fastened by a screw 5, the clip having a plate 6 apertured for the screw. It will be understood that the clip may be given any suitable form according to the presser-foot it is to be applied to and the manner in which it is to be secured, so long as it has the feature which gives it its efliciency.

The attachment, as already indicated, is formed substantiall of a side plate which at its lower edge 7 lies alongside and against the side of the presser-foot. Toward thetop the clip inclines inwardly to the point '8, as seen in Fig. 6 particularly. This feature is indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 in an exaggerated showing since the figures are presumed to he plan views, and the notch, hereafter to be mentioned, would not necessarily be so ap parent in a plan view as it has been made in the drawing for the purpose of illustration. Between'the rearward lower corner and the upper tip or end 8 the rear edge of the clip is cut-out, as shown at 10. On each side of the cut-out the edge is given proper curvature or form to lead into the cut-out the threads of the. chain or stitch when the fab-- ric A (Fig. l) is carried by the fingers to bring the thread or chain B (Fig. 1) around the corner or against the rear edge of the clip. This curvature or formation of the rear edge is seen in the several figures and it will be readily understood that the showing is not exclusive of other forms. In Fig. 2 the cut-out does not come exactly to a point as it does in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 the cut-out is formed with opposite walls coming to a cross wall. Thisvariety is simply to illustrate different forms of making the cut-out. In Fig. 7 it will be seen that the rear edge may be beveled, as seen at 12, so that there is a somewhat sharpened edge at the cut-out where the threads rest when strain is put upon them, and that the edge on each side of the recess may be sharpened so that the mere movement of the thread into the cutout tends to perform part of the work.

It is not requisite that the rear edge of the device should have a cutting edge or that the cut-out should be designed to cut the threads or chain, although this form may be preferable. If given a cutting edge, such may be placed at either face of the de vice or between the faces. The purpose, however, can be understood by supposing that the operator has sewn through a fabric and has drawn the fabric away from the presser-foot to give a sufficient length of thread, and it is then necessary by hand to break the thread instead of cutting it, as in fact operators sometimes do, but which requires them to pull out more thread than necessary to cut it. In pulling out this thread, by drawing the fabric away from the presser-foot and in breaking the thread after it is pulled out it becomes necessary to apply strain at some particular point. This strain may be by simply pulling the threads apart, or the operation might be facilitated by applying a cutting power at the point of strain. But, if the thread is to be severed simply by pulling apart there must. be considerable of it withdrawn to enable the operator to do so.-

In my device I locate the point of strain at the rear corner of the presser-foot or substantially thereat and in the cut-out in the attachment. The threads or chain being drawn into the cut-out by the operator moving the fingers to carry the fabric A to the left of the presser-foot, any strain applied I by pulling the fabric falls between the hand which holds the fabric and the cut-out. I have thus located the breaking point between these extremes as the clutching or gripping of the thread in the cut-out will prevent any strain coming on the thread between the cut-out and the needle, which fabric need be drawn from the sewing mechanism but a short distance and the threads can be severed by moving the fabric slightly to one side instead of drawing it forward to bring the threads against the cutting mechanism or device which has sometimes been located on the forward or near portion' of the presser-foot. On the contrary, the operator taking the work from the machine naturally throws it to the lefthand side which is necessitated by the ordinary form of the machine and in doing so, by slight movement of the fingers, brings the threads or chain to bear against an edge in such manner that the strain thereafter applied will sever the threads or chain.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A thread clip consisting of a plate secured in vertical position at one side of the presser-foot, having its rearward edge formed with a notch opening rearwardly and substantially on a line with the horizontal portion of the presser-foot, substantially as described. o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL H. FOGARTY.

Vitnesses:

ELEANOR T. DE GIoRcI, RAY C. SNYDER. 

